12th National Conference of the
American Synesthesia Association
with the Harvard Brain Science Institute

October 6 @ 6:30pm, 2017
FREE - no tickets required

Hearing in Color

Most people's brains read signals from the eyes as
light, shape, and color, and from the ears as sound.
But some people can experience visual stimulation as
sound or color or taste; or auditory stimulation as
smell. This crossing of sensory modalities is called
synesthesia.
What happens when composers and musicians hear in
colors, shapes, or personalities? How might these
extraordinary experiences affect a composer’s writing,
or a musician’s interpretation of a piece? And why do
all musicians, whether synesthetic or not,
use visual language to describe sound? On October 6th,
join Professor Psyche Loui of Wesleyan University and
Project LENS to explore the sound world
as perceived by the synesthetic brain.

This event is FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
Tickets are NOT REQUIRED!

What's Project LENS?

Project LENS is a performance collaborative that seeks to
reveal connections between music and a wide variety of topics
in the world beyond. Our diverse studies and shared passion
for classical music have inspired us to start a conversation
about the ways in which music relates to topics as eclectic
as evolution, 3D printing, humor, law, and birdsong. At
each of our events, we illuminate a central topic by weaving
together two threads: a TalkThread, a presentation of an
idea, theory, or story; and a MusicThread spun of selections
from the classical repertoire.

More About Us

Ariel Mitnick

At 3, Ariel asked her parents if she could start violin
lessons. After she pestered them for a year, they
finally let her start. Now a graduate of the dual Harvard /
New England Conservatory program, she holds degrees in
Neurobiology and Violin Performance. In addition to her
work on Project LENS, Ariel is a Software Engineer at
Knewton, where she builds personalized education products
for Higher Education.

Rainer Crosett

Rainer started out on the piano, and started
cello “late” at age 10. Rainer's passion for
human rights has inspired his thesis at Harvard, on human
rights philosophy, and his work advocating for North Korean
refugees. He holds an AB from Harvard in Philosophy,
an MM in Cello Performance from NEC, and a Certificate in
Chamber Music Performance from USC, where he is currently
pursuing an Artist Diploma with Ralph Kirshbaum.

Alan Toda-Ambaras

Winner of the Most Promising Contestant Award at the
2005 Rostropovich International Cello Competition,
Alan began playing the cello at age 4.
Besides music, he enjoys studying human gesture in painting.
Alan was the artist-in-residence at Cabot House at Harvard
for 3 years. He is also a co-founder of the Eureka Ensemble,
a musical organization dedicated to social service and inclusivity
projects in the Boston area.